The Odyssey
by violetemeralds323
Summary: He really was eloquent. When he wasn't talking to Rose Weasley, he had a plethora of verbiage which he endeavoured to utilize routinely. When he was talking to Rose, he said dumb things. It had always been this way, ever since he realized he liked her in third year.
1. Heading Back to the Common Room?

The library was always quiet at this time of night. It was late enough that most students had packed up their belongings after their post-dinner study session, and with the library only open for another thirty minutes, it was unlikely that anyone else would enter the library with the intent of studying.

That's not to say that Scorpius _was _studying. He had already completed his homework an hour ago, and was now relishing the quiet of the library to sit with his thoughts. He mindlessly drew circles and spirals on the top corner of his parchment, unfocused eyes glancing at his scribbling every once in awhile.

He was woken from his daydream by a slightly muffled giggling voice from the library stacks behind him. The voice was immediately recognizable. Scorpius stopped his doodling abruptly, his hand sitting awkwardly on the table in mid spiral. His ears perked and he tried to keep his eyes focused on his paper as he listened intently.

"I can't believe you did it!" Rose Weasley whispered excitedly. "I mean, I totally believe you did it, but I can't _believe _it, you know?"

_No, _Scorpius thought, _I don't know. That doesn't make any sense at all._

Another giggle, this time from a different voice Scorpius couldn't quite identify. "I know!"

_Ah, it's Angela. That makes sense._

"How was it?" Rose asked, the eagerness clear in her voice in spite of the whisper. "I want all the details. When, where? _How?_"

"It was… nice. And.. erm, really nice." Another giggle, and what sounded like a small jump.

"Ahh, I'm so happy for you!" Rose exclaimed, this time louder than a whisper. "You've been waiting for so long for this! I know you and Jeremy will be amazing together!" Rose's voice changed suddenly from warm and excited to brisk and firm. "But don't think for a second that I didn't notice that you avoided any details, Angela Longbottom. Have your secrecy for now, but I _will _know everything eventually." In spite of her cool voice, Scorpius could sense the smile behind Rose's words.

_So that's what they're talking about. Merlin knows it's been obvious that pair have been going starry eyed for each other for ages now. _He was impressed that Jeremy Nott had plucked up the courage to finally ask Angela out on a proper date. Once he thought about it, however, he decided it was far more likely that Angela had done the asking, and perhaps "proper date" was not the appropriate description for what had occurred.

Rose and Angela were both extremely straightforward and upfront girls. They were both Gryffindors, with all the courage and confidence that came with the branding. They were a power team on the Quidditch pitch; Rose as Chaser and Angela as Beater. Rose had beat out Angela by a _hair _for the title of Head Girl this year, and the pair's friendship was so strong they didn't let that fact get in the way even slightly.

They were sort of like he and Albus in that way, Scorpius thought. He didn't think there was anything that he and his best friend couldn't handle when they were together. _Except girls. Or dragons. Or really advanced spells. Or Quidditch. _Scorpius sighed. _Okay, maybe Al and I are not really like them at all._

"Attention all library patrons. It is eleven o'clock, and the library is now closing. Please make sure to take all your belongings with you, and have a safe and quick journey back to your common room."

Scorpius jumped at the first sound of the librarian's shrill voice. His father told him stories of how annoying Madame Pince's announcements were back when he was in school, but Scorpius didn't think that anyone's voice could compare to the nasally high-pitched voice of Madame Leroux. He hastily swiped his books from the table into his backpack, not wanting to get on Madame Leroux's bad side by being late to exit the library after closing.

He was still shifting his bag over his shoulder, trying to get it in a comfortable spot, by the time he was already in the hallway heading back to his common room. He heard another familiar giggle behind him: it seemed Rose and Angela had left the library just after him and were walking a few steps behind. They seemed to be aware of his presence in front of them as they didn't continue their conversation from earlier, and instead began a conversation about the upcoming Quidditch match.

Several minutes later, Scorpius heard Rose say goodbye to Angela as the two prepared to part ways. Angela's voice faded as she went further down the hallway, still joking and laughing at something Rose had said. Scorpius' heartbeat quickened with the realization he was alone in the hallway with Rose, walking back to their common room.

_One of the perks of being Head Boy, that's for sure. _

Scorpius clenched his hand holding his bag strap. He should say something to her. It would be awkward to walk down the hallway in silence, wouldn't it?

"Erm, heading back to the common room?" he asked stupidly. _Moron. Of course she is._

Several seconds passed until Rose answered cautiously "Um, yes… Yes I am." There was a note in her voice which suggested she wasn't exactly sure he was talking to her, and if he was, why he was asking such an obvious question.

"Oh. Well. That's good, then. Should be there soon."

He really _was _eloquent. When he wasn't talking to Rose Weasley, he had a plethora of verbiage which he endeavoured to utilize routinely. When he was talking to Rose, he said dumb things. It had always been this way, ever since he realized he liked her in third year.

Rose ignored him, and Scorpius wasn't sure if it was out of apathy or pity. Either way, he was thankful for her lack of response. The two walked in silence until reaching the entrance to the Head dormitory. Scorpius muttered the password quietly and the two entered.

Scorpius walked right to the table in the centre of the room and deposited his bag. He began removing his textbooks and laying them out on the table. Since he had thrown them all in his bag rather quickly in the library, Scorpius was eager to organize his books before heading to bed.

He noticed that Rose was still behind him as he was unloading his bag. So far she had made no move towards her room, or to the common room couches. He reached into the bottom of his bag and pulled out the last book.

Looking at the book quizzically, Scorpius noted that he had apparently swiped an extra book into his bag while at the library. This was not one of his textbooks. It was bound in a deep maroon coloured fabric cover with shimmering silver text. He ran his fingers over the text lightly, reading aloud. "Nempe Mundos - Corporis atque animi natura…."

"What was that?" Rose asked, walking closer to hear his mumbling better. He always seemed to mumble. She stood right beside Scorpius and peered over his shoulder as he began to open the book.

A bright teal-coloured light shone from the book as soon as it was opened, bathing Scorpius and Rose. Rose brought her arm up to her eyes to try to block the light, and Scorpius dropped the book to do the same. It fell open on the table, still emitting blinding light.

Seconds later, the book's light began to fade and eventually cease altogether. As soon as the last bits of light had dissipated, Scorpius and Rose fell to the floor, unconscious.


	2. Stable Condition

Hermione pulled at her already frazzled hair, sighing heavily. Her desk was piled with papers in organized stacks, all of them much taller than the witch would have liked. It seemed her years at the Ministry had done nothing but increase the amount of paperwork she was required to do.

She reached for her coffee with one hand and sipped carefully while reading over the next paper. The Goblins were demanding more money for their newest curse-breaker recruits, claiming that it was furthering Goblin-Wizard relationships. The reality of the situation, of course, is that the Goblins would hire poor recent Hogwarts graduates to be their slaves for the summer, and then want the ministry to pay them exorbitant amounts for it.

A knock sounded lightly at her door. Trying desperately to hold her heavy sigh inside, Hermione announced "Come in!" in an attempt at a cheerful voice.

Her secretary opened the door and partially entered the room, lowering her eyes gently. "Um, Ms. Granger… There's an owl just arrived for you. It's very insistent. The letter is from Hogwarts."

Hermione paused her haphazard perusal of the document in her hands and gave her secretary her full attention. "From Hogwarts?" she repeated skeptically.

"Yes, ma'am. Sealed and all." The sound of ruffling feathers and a squawk could be heard from the other side of the door. "As I said, ma'am, he's very insistent."

Glancing at the clock quickly, Hermione began straightening her desk. "Oh, alright. It's almost lunchtime anyway. I'll come out and see what he wants."

As soon as she left her office, Hermione was assaulted by the owl. She spluttered as feathers landed in her mouth, and tried to shield her eyes from the creature's flapping wings. Through her fumbling she managed to grab hold of the letter attached to the owl's leg, and the bird finally stopped its attack.

"This had better be important…."

Hermione looked at the wax seal on the back of the letter. It was indeed from Hogwarts, and had the Headmistress' seal. She carefully cracked the wax and opened the letter, her eyes passing over the familiar script of Professor McGonagall, now headmistress.

Her eyes glazed over and her face paled when she finished reading the letter. Without grabbing her purse or her coat, Hermione quickly spun around and dashed towards the hallway. She began running, her functional work shoes smacking against the slick tile floor leading towards the main elevator. Hermione burst into the elevator as soon as it opened, not even waiting for anyone to get off first. Her coworkers scoffed at her, but Hermione didn't notice. She was too overwhelmed by the news in the letter, all she could think about was reaching the Floo so she could get to Hogwarts as soon as possible.

As soon as the elevator doors opened again on the main floor, Hermione pushed her way through to the front, muttering a half-hearted "Excuse me" as she squished between her coworkers. She could feel the stares from people as she passed them, but her focus was on the fireplace just in front of her. She grabbed a handful of floo powder and jumped into the fireplace, shouting "Hogwarts, Headmistress' office!"

The green flames diminished, and Hermione saw McGonagall's concerned face appear in front of her. Without waiting for the other woman to begin, Hermione asked "What happened? Where is my daughter?" Her voice was firm and slightly strained, but still respectful.

McGonagall pressed her lips together firmly before beginning. "I think perhaps it's better to save explanation for later, when everyone is here. Let me take you to see Rose."

Hermione nodded pragmatically and began walking to the exit of the office. "In the infirmary, I assume?" She caught McGonagall's nod peripherally and continued ahead of the older woman. Even though it had been twenty years since Hermione frequented these halls, the trip from the Headmistress' office to the infirmary was one she would never forget.

The hallways were thankfully empty; Hermione was sure that McGonagall must have had something to do with it since the halls were normally bustling throughout the day. She remembered Rose always complaining that people would walk too slowly, or stop in inappropriate places in a crowded hall. It was only a couple of minutes since she left the office when she arrived at the infirmary, not even checking behind her to make sure McGonagall was still following her.

A young witch Hermione had never met before stopped her as soon as she entered. She was dressed in white medirobes with her blonde hair tied in a firm bun on the back of her head. "Are you Hermione?" the witch asked politely.

Hermione nodded. "I'm here to see Rose Weasley." The witch nodded as well, and indicated for Hermione to follow her. She was glad the mediwitch did not bother with introductions or explanations right away; the first thing Hermione wanted to do was to verify that her daughter was okay.

The mediwitch stopped at a bed on the other side of the infirmary and opened the curtain slightly, indicating for Hermione to enter.

Hermione inhaled sharply and collected herself as much as possible before pushing the curtain aside and stepping up beside the bed. Tears prickled the corners of her eyes as she looked in on her daughter lying lifelessly on the bed.

Rushing over to the bed, Hermione took Rose's hand into her own. It was warm and soft, and Hermione squeezed it tightly. "Rose…"

"She is in stable condition." The mediwitch's voice was calm and soothing. "I have run several diagnostic tests on her, and everything appears normal. Heart rate and temperature are both good."

"Then-" Hermione's voice cracked; she cleared her throat and continued. "Then why is she still unconscious?" She knew even though it was never explicitly stated, it was the only explanation for why she was called to Hogwarts so quickly if everything else seemed fine.

The mediwitch paused before answering. "We're not sure. We're still looking into some options, and, with your permission, Healers from St. Mungo's will perform some more tests on Rose to see if there is any more information we might have missed."

Hermione was still clutching Rose's hand tightly as she processed all this information. "Yes, yes of course. Perform any test you think is relevant." Turning towards the mediwitch, Hermione continued "How did this happen? Was it Quidditch?"

"I think it's best you hear it from the Headmistress herself. I'll take you to her now, if you like."

Sporting a confused look for a moment, it was only then that she realized that the Headmistress in fact did not follow her into the infirmary, but must have head off in a different direction. Hermione nodded and released Rose's hand to rest on the girl's abdomen.

It seemed like no time had passed when the mediwitch announced that they had arrived. Hermione was standing at a door she had recognized in passing, but had never been in before. She gasped softly in surprise when she entered.

"Ron?"

Ron Weasley stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed. He turned to look at Hermione and gave a weak smile. "Mione, you're finally here."

Hermione joined him in the middle of the room and he opened his arms to her. She buried her head in his chest, relishing in the comfort that was Ronald Weasley. "She's going to be okay," he whispered, rubbing her back. Some small tears escaped the corner of her eye and she wiped at them gently. Ron stood back and gave Hermione a soft kiss on the forehead before turning around.

Headmistress McGonagall was standing just behind Ron, patiently waiting for them to finish their exchange before attempting to begin her explanation.

"If everyone would take a seat, I can get started with the explanation."

It the phrase "everyone" seemed odd to Hermione when there was just her and Ron in the room, she didn't take note of it until she was already sitting and a figure moved from the wall to walk towards them.

Hermione recognized that hair colour immediately. She saw his eyes scan the room quickly before walking towards the couch they sat on. He sat beside Hermione, eyes staying focused on McGonagall. Hermione straightened her back slightly before asking "To what do we owe the pleasure, Malfoy?"

Draco Malfoy sat regally, with no physical indication that he even heard her question. He appeared to be his usual aloof self, however when Hermione looked closer she noticed that he had dark circles under his eyes and was clenching his hands into fists on his lap.

McGonagall ignored the slight tension in the room and began straight into her explanation. "I expect the unit from St. Mungo's will be arriving as we speak, so we will hopefully know more about their current condition soon. For now, I will tell you what we do know about the events leading up to Rose and Scorpius' current state."

Hermione noticed Malfoy's fists clench even more tightly at the mention of his son's name. Out of the corner of her other eye, she noticed Ron do the same when Rose was mentioned. That explained his presence here beside them, and if Hermione had not been so overcome with worry for her daughter's condition, she might have arrived at that conclusion far earlier.

"Rose and Scorpius were last seen walking back from the library together, heading towards their shared dormitory. Madame Leroux saw them leave last night when the library closed. We noticed they were missing when their professors reported them absent in their classes this morning. Both Rose and Scorpius are very studious, as I am sure you are all aware, so missing class was very odd behaviour for either of them, let alone both at once.

Gabrielle - the mediwitch you met in the infirmary - and I proceeded to the head dormitory to check up on them. They were both lying unconscious on the floor beside the table. Gabrielle and I scanned the room, both visually and looking for signs of residual magic, but we saw nothing amiss. We checked the students for any injuries, but they were just as you saw them today. We brought them to the infirmary and continued to monitor them while we owled you three, as well as St. Mungo's."

McGonagall paused for a breath after expelling her story so quickly. She was surprised to not be interrupted with questions; Ron was known for his temperamental outbursts, and the other two did not often keep their questions to themselves. She did not have to wait long until the silence was broken.

"Is that all? If you have nothing more, I'd like to go back to the infirmary." It was Malfoy, surprisingly, who decided to speak first.

"That's all," McGonagall confirmed. Malfoy immediately stood up and thanked McGonagall for her time before leaving the room, presumably to head towards the infirmary.

"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger - I presume you would like to go back to visit with Rose as well. I am sure you will have more questions for either myself or the St. Mungo's staff. Please stay here for as long as you like, I'll have the elves set up a couple of rooms for you."

"Thank you, professor," Hermione spoke softly. She took Ron's hand in hers and squeezed it softly before standing up. "Let's go back to see Rose. I'm sure we'll have some more answers soon."


	3. Don't Want to Leave

It was seventeen hours later, and they still knew nothing.

Seventeen hours of sitting beside Rose's bed, holding her hand. Seventeen hours of questioning the St. Mungo's staff about updates, followed by "what do you mean, you don't know?". Hours of trying to nap quietly in a cot in the infirmary, passing one another in the halls on their way to and from the lavatory to freshen up, sipping tea and nibbling on biscuits.

Hermione was just on her way back from washing her face in an effort to stay awake. She could feel the bags under her eyes, and the ache forming in her head. Malfoy was walking from the infirmary, and it was one of the few times she'd seen him leave Scorpius' side during the whole ordeal.

"Malfoy," she greeted, nodding her head slightly. She had hoped that the years spent apart had allowed him to bury their childhood rivalry as she had. Even if he hadn't, he was as tired and stressed as she was, and he deserved some positive social interaction.

"Weasley," he greeted in return.

"Granger, actually," she amended. He raised his eyebrow at her in question; from everything he had seen of the two so far, it appeared that she and the Weasel were still together.

"Ron and I separated last year; the divorce was finalized a couple months ago."

Giving her an appraising look, he commended "You've done a good job of keeping it quiet. How do you manage the media?" He carefully placed his hands in his pockets and turned to face her a little more. Hermione noted the change in position and smiled internally. It looked like he had buried their past experiences as well if he was open to continuing conversation with her.

"My job at the Ministry is fairly low key in terms of public appearances. And Ron is out most of the time supervising and training new Aurors, so it's easy for us to be apart without raising suspicion." Draco noticed a slight waver in her voice; perhaps all of Weasley's time away was less of a benefit when they were still together. Or perhaps she was just as tired and drained as he was, and had trouble keeping her voice steady.

Hermione cleared her voice before continuing. She'd noticed the waver in her voice as well, it seemed. "Besides, Ron and I aren't nearly at the same level of interest as Harry and Ginny. Or you, for that matter."

Malfoy scoffed at the mention of his media popularity. They'd had a field day with him and his family ever since the war ended. The public was still very interested in keeping tabs on him after he publicly renounced his Death Eater associations. Potter's vouching for him and his mother during the post-war trials left a bad taste in some people's mouths, and since then the wizarding world was happier keeping an eye on what his family was up to, just in case. They'd not had very much worth reporting until just a few years ago.

Hermione saw the look on his face and correctly assumed where his thoughts were going. Three years ago, the Prophet began publishing stories about Astoria Malfoy and her declining health. The family attempted to deter the media from continuing their reports, but by that time the damage had already been done, and fighting back just enraptured the wizarding world even more. They catalogued any progression in her illness they could find, right up until two years ago when she passed away. "I'm sorry for your loss, and all the trouble the Prophet put you though."

Malfoy shrugged uncomfortably and removed his hands from his pockets. "It's the Prophet and those who gobble up those kinds of stories who should be sorry, Granger. Not you." He turned away from her and back towards the infirmary. "Best get back to Scorpius. Never know when they might wake up, right?"

"Right," Hermione agreed softly. She stood in the hallway for a moment more, looking curiously at Malfoy's retreating back. Just as she began to walk towards the infirmary, she saw Ron walking out.

"'Mione - I just got a floo call from Lucas. I tried to tell him about Rosie, how we don't know what will happen. He says he needs me out in the morning with the new trainees: he's taking them to Russia for a month-long intensive training session."

Ron looked frazzled. Hermione knew he loved his job, and that he was one of the only people who could be effective in his position. He not only had the knowledge, experience, and leadership, but he also had the charisma and personality necessary to develop these younger aurors in training. Unfortunately Lucas, Ron's boss, also knew how invaluable his employee was, and called upon him frequently. If Ron didn't go on this training session, Lucas knew the new recruits would not get the level of training they deserved.

"Rose is stable, Ron. You can go train these new Aurors; we both know you're the best one for the job. I'll stay here with Rose and see what I can research about her condition. I promise to send a patronus to you as soon as anything changes, ok?"

Ron frowned at her and pulled her into a tight hug. "I really don't want to leave," he admitted, "but I have to go. You're right - nothing has happened so far, and I'll make sure to tell Lucas that I will be Apparating back to Hogwarts the _minute _I see your otter." Ron kissed Hermione on the forehead again before releasing her. "I'm going to go say goodbye to Rosie, just in case…" He trailed off, but then shook his head and changed his next words to "well, just so she knows where I am. I'll then go say goodbye to Hugo before sending him up here to see you both." So far, Hugo had been appraised of his sister's condition, but was encouraged to continue attending classes so as to not draw even more attention to Rose's absence.

"Thank you, Ron. And I promise the second anything changes at all I'll let you know. It's like you'll be here the whole time. I'll owl you updates as well."

Giving his ex-wife one last hug, Ron turned back towards the infirmary doors to see his daughter before leaving.

Hermione stood in the hallway for several minutes more. This was typical Ron. He cared a lot for his family, he really did. He loved Rose and Hugo immensely, and they both adored him. But Ron had always had trouble reconciling his family priorities against establishing a name for himself. He had developed that name now with the Aurors as head instructor for Auror training, and he was terrified of allowing himself to fail and having someone else come in to take his place.

"Mom!"

Hugo's voice carried from the other end of the hallway that Hermione was standing in. Apparently she'd been lost in thought for longer than she anticipated. Malfoy had long since left the hallway, and obviously Ron had already said goodbye to Hugo before heading back to the ministry.

Warm, comforting arms wrapped around her small frame in an exact imitation of how she had held him in years past. She relished in his comfort, wondering when her little boy had become such a strong and supportive man. He was in his fifth year now, and Hermione could not remember her, Harry or Ron being as grown up as Hugo seemed right now.

"Oh, Hugo.." she sighed, firming her arms around him. "Everything will be all right. We've got the best Mediwitches and Mediwizards on the case, so I'm sure we'll learn something soon. Rosie will be back to whacking you on the head soon enough."

Hugo chuckled and released his mother. "I am sure she will. She'll have to make up for any time she's missed, also. Perhaps I should run out and buy a helmet before she wakes up."

Her son had obviously learned from his father how to use his humour in strained situations to improve everyone's mood. It was one of the reasons he was so popular and had so many friends throughout all years and houses at Hogwarts. Hermione was very proud of him.

"And how's Scorp?" Hugo asked, further affirming Hermione's belief in her son's ability to make friends with anyone. "Same as Rosie?"

Hermione nodded, explaining the situation again to her son just in case there were any updates that Ron had failed to mention during his brief visit with Hugo. During the explanation, the two moved slowly towards the infirmary where Rose and Scorpius still lay, unmoving.

After Hermione finished speaking, Hugo took a long look at his sister before turning his eyes to Scorpius and Draco.

"Mr. Malfoy," Hugo greeted, bowing slightly in respect. "I am sorry to hear about what happened to Scorp. I'm sure he and my sis will be right as rain soon enough."

Draco's lips turned up in the faintest hint of a smile. "Hugo Weasley. I've heard a lot about you from Scorp." Hermione's ears perked up at this - she had known that Hugo and Scorpius Malfoy sometimes talked, but she had no idea that the two were close enough that Scorpius would mention her son to Malfoy. Malfoy paused slightly and looked to the ground before resolving himself and facing Hugo straight on.

"Thank you," he began. "For helping Scorp through these past couple of years. I know how much having you and Albus around meant - _means _to him." The slip was noticed by both Hermione and Hugo, but neither commented.

"It's no prob," Hugo replied, once again shaking the tension in the room with his informal attitude. "Al and I were happy to help. Scorp's a good guy, and Merlin knows he's helped me out of a situation or two." He turned towards his mother then, quickly backtracking once he saw the look in her eye. "Not that I have ever really been in _situations_, you know… What I mean is, that's more just a saying…"

Hermione couldn't help a rueful smile at her son's antics. Yes, Hugo had certainly inherited the charismatic part of Ron that she fell in love with years ago. It was easy to see why he was so popular at school. Accepting that there would be no news for her daughter's progress any time soon, Hermione accepted Hugo's impromptu (and intentionally _distracting_) invitation to have some late dinner.


	4. Where Am I?

Rose Weasley awoke with a start, gasping loudly and clutching her chest. She sat up abruptly and attempted to control her breathing. Her eyes slowly began to focus on her surroundings, and her heart sped up in panic.

She was laying in an ornate bed, layered with silken sheets and beautifully sewn quilts. She was wearing a delicate pink silk nightdress that she had never seen before. Turning her gaze towards the rest of the room, she realized the bed was not the only ornate object in the room. The windows were adorned with heavy fabric curtains, a soft-looking patterned rug lay on the polished hardwood floors, and gilded dressers and mirrors lined the intricately papered walls.

_Where am I?_

Quickly flicking the covers away, Rose slid her legs out of bed and onto the hardwood floor. Her toes brushed against something soft, and she looked down. Beside her feet were beaded silk slippers in the exact same shade as the nightgown she was wearing. Noting the cool temperature of the floor, she tentatively slipped her feet into the slippers. They fit perfectly.

Suddenly there was a swift rapt at the door. Before Rose could even think of something to say or a place to hide, a cheerful "Good morning!" came from a petite lady already halfway in the room.

"Ah, you are awake, my Lady."

Rose's eyebrows quirked at the title, but she otherwise ignored it. If she had learned anything from her mother, it was to ascertain as much information as possible about any situation while you had the opportunity. The other woman continued without missing a beat. "I'm glad to see it. I was worried you would still be asleep, what with that nasty fall you took the other night. Come now, let me check you to see how you're healing."

The woman approached Rose with a gentle demeanour, reaching out for her hair to undo her loose braid. Rose tensed, preparing her escape in case things turned sour. The other woman must have noticed Rose's change in posture as she asked "You alright, my Lady? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"N-no," Rose stuttered. She cleared her throat. "No, I'm fine. Please, continue."

The woman smiled and continued parting Rose's unruly hair. She tutted softly. "Well, it seems to be getting better, but it still has a ways to go before the swelling disappears. Make sure you take it easy today, my Lady. Wouldn't want you making yourself worse."

The other woman pushed herself up from Rose's bed and scurried about the room, opening chests and drawers to pull out various forms of dresses and underwear that Rose had never seen before. During this time, Rose took a minute to think.

_It seems this woman knows me, and does not think anything is amiss. She is referring to me as "my Lady", which means apparently she thinks I'm deserving of some sort of title._ Rose paused in her musings and gently touched the back of her head, where she had apparently hit it the previous night. Her mind buzzed, attempting to recollect yesterday's events. She remembered being in the library at Hogwarts, and chatting with Angela before heading off to bed at curfew. She remembered talking briefly with Scorpius Malfoy as they both made their way to the head dorms. She remembered reaching out to touch an old book she didn't remember taking from the library…. And she remembered a flash of bright light before tumbling to the floor.

_That must have been when I hit my head. But how did I get here? And why is this person calling me "My Lady"? _Having enough of being in the dark, Rose thought it was time to start asking some questions.

"Um, excuse me, but - who are you, exactly?" Rose asked of the other woman in the room, who was just finishing taking out the last of the garments and laying them on a small chaise next to a vanity on the opposite side of the room.

The woman turned around and gave Rose a concerned, quizzical look. "My Lady, are you sure you're alright?" When Rose didn't answer, the woman approached the bed where Rose was sitting and took Rose's head between her small cool hands. Seeing the confusion in Rose's eyes, the other woman sighed softly before emitting a small, rueful smile.

"My name is Lizzie, my Lady." Lizzie scanned Rose's eyes, and finding no recognition within them, she continued. "I have been my Lady's maid for the past two years. Surely you must remember?"

Always a quick thinker, Rose decided it might be best to play the amnesia card for now until she was able to figure out a little more about where she was. Although Lizzie was a stranger to her, Rose certainly wasn't a stranger to Lizzie. _After all_, she thought, _I already have the whack on my head to corroborate the story_.

Lizzie smiled warmly at Rose. "Not to worry, my Lady. We shall get you dressed and ready. Afterwards, we will walk to the infirmary and go visit Doctor Joseph, shall we?"

Scorpius scrunched up his nose at the pile of hay mixed with horse manure at the end of his pitchfork. He'd been around horses plenty of times before, and was certainly familiar with the particular odors the animals emitted. But never had be been so _surrounded _by the permeating stench like he was right now.

He had woken up three days ago on a pile of hay in the loft of a barn. He could hear the rustling of animals below him, and felt pieces of hay stabbing him in the back. Not long after he woke, he heard a gruff voice from the barn door instructing them to get up and get to work. It was then that he noticed several other young boys sleeping in the hay next to him. They all looked disheveled and like they hadn't seen a bath in some weeks, and Scorpius could only assume that he looked no better.

He could remember opening a book at Hogwarts, and a bright blue light. That was the last thing he could recall before waking up in the hayloft. So far, he assumed that _something _happened in between those two events which took him here to this strange place.

So far, his presence wasn't noticed by anyone except the boys he worked with. He didn't know any of their names, but they didn't think anything of it and referred to him as "the new chap" until he introduced himself as Scorpius.

"Scorpius?" one boy questioned rudely on the first day, while they were scraping the bird shit from the bottom of the chicken crates. "What kind of name is that supposed to be?"

"An old one," Scorpius fibbed. "I was named after a great great grandfather, on my mother's side." The boys seemed impressed that he could trace his genealogy back so far. It was then that Scorpius realized that these boys were likely orphans or estranged from their families, and endeavoured not to share too much more about his family around them.

Not that there was a whole lot of time for talking. The stablemaster worked them all tirelessly, providing task after gruelling task from sunup to sundown. Scorpius immediately noticed that he didn't have his wand when he woke up. He also noticed that no one around him seemed to be using magic at all. Was this some sort of punishment, to do this work without magic? Or was he somewhere that didn't know about magic?

There was a surprising amount of chatting going on now between the boys, and Scorpius was listening attentively even though he wasn't participating in the conversation.

"I cannot wait to head inside for a bath tonight!" one boy exclaimed. That was Travis, if Scorpius remembered correctly.

"I am looking forward to a hot meal" another said. "And a nice big mug of ale."

Scorpius furrowed his brows in concentration. Obviously there was something different about tonight. It sounded like they might finally get to leave the barn for some actual modern amenities, and it sounded like this happened somewhat regularly.

"_I _cannot wait to maybe catch a glimpse of Lady Rose in the main house." The other boys hooted in agreement. Scorpius' ears perked up at this - _Lady Rose? Could it be?_

"Who is Lady Rose?"

The other boys turned to him. "Oh yeah, I forgot. The new chap hasn't been filled in on the family yet." Travis took the lead and began describing Lady Rose to Scorpius.

"She's the young Lady of the house. Her father is the Lord, and her mother passed away when she was still young. She's got the biggest blue eyes and gorgeous long red hair." Travis paused here to lower his voice conspiratorially. "And the fullest breasts and arse any of us have seen anywhere!"

Scorpius swallowed. That description sounded like Rose Weasley, up to and including the rather crude commentary on her assets.

One of the other boys continued where Travis left off. "She's a piece of work, though. With her mother being gone, she's had run of the house since she was a kid, I've heard. She'd slap you as soon as look at you, and I've heard she's had her servants beaten for touching her slippers."

The boys sniggered; apparently this description of the Lady Rose was also popular knowledge.

"The only one she seems to tolerate is Miss Lizzie, her maid," Travis continued.

"You'd know all about Miss Lizzie, wouldn't you, Travis?"

Travis' cheeks were red as he turned to glare at the other boys.

"Aww, don't worry there, boy. You'll get to see Miss Lizzie tonight, won't you? Maybe steal her away to the stable for a couple hours? It's not likely she'll let your dirty arse into her clean sheets."

"A couple hours - more like a couple minutes!"

The boys all laughed again, even Travis this time. It seemed they were all in good spirits in expectation of bathing and hot food this evening. Scorpius couldn't blame them - he too was looking forward to feeling clean again. And maybe catching a glimpse of Lady Rose.

Rose stared glumly out the window of her room. At Lizzie's request, she'd been to visit Doctor Joseph three days ago. He was a nice enough man, and proclaimed Rose to be suffering from a bout of amnesia. He wasn't confident whether her memory would come back or not, and suggested that Rose be confined to her bedroom until they had a better sense of her condition.

This was not helpful for Rose trying to figure out where she was and how she got here, however. Perhaps following along with the amnesia idea wasn't the best plan. But she needed to learn more about her surroundings if she had a hope of trying to escape, and faking amnesia at least did not raise suspicion that she wasn't who these people thought she was.

The only people she'd interacted with so far were Doctor Joseph and Lizzie. Lizzie had been bringing her meals to her bedroom and providing her with books to read to occupy her time. While Rose normally appreciated a good book nearly as much as her mother, right now she needed to focus her efforts on trying to learn more about her surroundings.

Rose was pleasantly surprised to learn that she would be having dinner outside her bedroom tonight. Lizzie had come up to pull out a dinner dress for her and instruct her that they needed to be downstairs in twenty minutes for dinner. Apparently tonight the groundskeepers, maids, and stableboys would all attend dinner in the house (_Where did they normally eat? _Rose thought), and Lizzie said it was good for them to see the Lords and Ladies of the house eat with them. Something about making them feel included and appreciated, and less likely to run away or seek higher pay elsewhere, Lizzie said.

Rose dressed quietly, musing over the things she'd learned about this new place so far. She knew she was some sort of Lady, of course, but wasn't sure what her full title was. Everyone seemed to know her and didn't question her presence, so obviously there was some sort of magic at work; either something to make Rose look like the person they were expecting, or something that affected their minds to make them think they knew her.

There was no evidence of magic being used anywhere else. In fact, from the little she'd seen of it, the house had electricity and showers rather than the lanterns and baths she was used to in the Wizarding world. In fact, apart from the decor (which was quite outdated), the house seemed to have all the amenities of a modern muggle house.

By this point, Rose was dressed and Lizzie was waiting to take her downstairs. The maid looked worried; Rose wondered if Lizzie was considering whether it was a good idea to bring an amnesiatic Lady down to mingle with the hired help. _I hope she doesn't change her mind_, Rose thought. _I need to find out more about where I am!_

The two women walked down the stairs from Rose's room and meandered through several hallways before arriving at the dining room. It was far bigger than Rose expected. Obviously whoever owned this house had a lot of money.

Rose immediately began scanning the room, looking for any additional clues that might help her figure out where she might be. The room was filled with people she had never seen before, who were all looking at her with varying amounts of interest. She shuddered; some of the looks were clearly sexual, and she could feel several pairs of eyes trace along her fitted bodice. She swallowed thickly and tried to suppress the urge to smack them all.

Her perusal of the dining room stopped immediately when she noticed a familiar shock of white-blond hair amidst the diners. His eyes were fixed firmly on her, but in a completely different way than the other lecherous leers. His cool grey eyes. _Scorpius! _

Rose barely suppressed the urge to call out to him immediately. She hoped he could see the look of recognition and hope in her eyes from where he sat. She continued following Lizzie up to a table at the head of the dining room and took a seat, eyeing Scorpius peripherally.

He continued eating, she noted, and was no longer looking at her. He _had _seen her, hadn't he? He wasn't like all the others who believed she was this silly Lady of the house… was he? A plate of food was delivered to her, but suddenly Rose did not feel up to eating anything.

The white-blond head jerked up suddenly as Scorpius stood up and began to walk out of the dining room. No one paid any attention apart from Rose; everyone was happy to be eating their warm dinners, and several people were coming and going.

Rose turned to look at Lizzie and attempted to look ill. Admittedly, she didn't have to try to pretend very much; her stomach _was _very unsettled. "Lizzie, I'm feeling a little flushed. Do you mind if I step outside for a moment to catch some fresh air?"

Lizzie was looking down at the diners when Rose began speaking, and she looked startled with Rose's question. "O-of course, Lady." She cleared her throat and turned her whole focus back towards Rose. "Would you like me to accompany you?"

"No, thank you," Rose stated politely but firmly. "I will only be a moment. Please, stay here and enjoy your dinner." Rose stood up and turned towards the same exit she saw Scorpius use a moment ago. She tried to keep her steps to a controlled walk as several pairs of eyes followed her out.

Now, she just needed to find Scorpius and figure out what the hell was going on.


End file.
